It had been 48 hours since the winds and rains from Hurricane Helene ripped through western North Carolina and Sam Perkins still had not heard from his parents.
Dianne Gallagher and Michelle WatsonHurricane Helene damage: 1 storm, nearly 100 dead and a 500-mile path of destructionripped through western North Carolina and Sam Perkins still had not heard from his parents.
Gov. Roy Cooper called it "one of the worst storms in modern history." While supplies have been deployed, at least 280 roads are still closed throughout the state, making it hard for officials to get them into areas in need, Cooper said. "I have never been so relieved to see anyone OK," Perkins told CNN, adding his parents are in their 70s, but pretty resourceful people.
After he found his parents on Saturday, fog and rain settled in and Perkins decided to head back down. "I didn't want to use their supplies, so I went ahead and decided to trek back," Perkins explained, adding on the way down, he was even able to hitch a ride on an undamaged portion of a road with someone in the community.His mother was able to a send him a message earlier Sunday, and it mostly focused on trying to get supplies for her neighbors.
The couple and their dog were forced to climb onto their neighbor's roof for safety, Jim Bourdy told CNN Sunday. "The moment we reached high ground, I knew that the only two things that matter in my life are my wife and my dog," Bourdy recalled. "I've never seen anything like this before," Keisler added, noting she has no water, power or cell service.Michelle Coleman, the executive director of a religious outreach organization called Asheville Dream Center, told CNN that she's never seen Asheville in this state before.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Unnamed storm brings 1 foot of rain to parts of North Carolina, heads northDennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Read more »
North Texan waits to hear from mother, grandmother after North Carolina stormMore than 24 hours passed without any word from Sarah Fivecoat's mom and grandmother, who were waiting out the storm in Asheville, North Carolina.
Read more »
North Texan waits to hear from mother, grandmother after North Carolina stormMore than 24 hours passed without any word from Sarah Fivecoat's mom and grandmother, who were waiting out the storm in Asheville, North Carolina.
Read more »
North Texan waits to hear from mother, grandmother after North Carolina stormMore than 24 hours passed without any word from Sarah Fivecoat's mom and grandmother, who were waiting out the storm in Asheville, North Carolina.
Read more »
North Texan waits to hear from mother, grandmother after North Carolina stormMore than 24 hours passed without any word from Sarah Fivecoat's mom and grandmother, who were waiting out the storm in Asheville, North Carolina.
Read more »
North Texan waits to hear from mother, grandmother after North Carolina stormMore than 24 hours passed without any word from Sarah Fivecoat's mom and grandmother, who were waiting out the storm in Asheville, North Carolina.
Read more »